I first read Outlander about fifteen years or so ago. My mom gave it to me, saying, “I know you don’t like time travel, but just get over that, and read this book.” Rarely does my mom do that, but when she does, she hits the mark. In fact, she gave me Harry Potter in much the same way, about four months before it exploded, saying, “Stick with it. Trust me.” After hearing about the upcoming series on Starz, and discovering it was only $1.99 for an e-reader edition, I realized I needed to take a little trip to the Scottish Highlands.
And I’m glad I did. Jamie’s just as delicious as I remember, and Claire is just as smart and fiesty. The characters come to life as easily as they did the first time around, and the reader is transported back to eighteenth century Scotland just as quickly as Claire was when she stepped through the stones at Craig na Dun.
For the uninitiated, Gabaldon’s story begins in 1945, with British nurse Claire Randall on a second honeymoon with her history buff husband Frank. Though they’ve been together for years, the war has kept them apart, and Claire and Frank are just beginning to settle in to married life. On a solitary walk near a stone circle, Claire is whisked through a time portal and finds herself in Scotland in 1743, at the height of the British and Scottish fighting. Through a series of events, Claire finds herself with Jamie Fraser, a young Scottish warrior fighting to clear his name and return to his land. Together, they must face the truly evil Lord John Randall (Frank’s ancestor), keep each other safe, and try to find a way for Claire to return to her own time.
One of the things I love about this series is how well it blends the “prince saves the girl” storyline with a strong female lead. Yes, Jamie saves Claire – quite often, in fact – but Claire is no slouch, and she pulls off several clever and daring rescues. As fierce a warrior as Jamie is, he needs Claire, and as intelligent and strong as Claire is, she needs him, too. They truly are a team, and that’s not something you often see in stories like this.
The beauty of this book lies in its characters. The story is good, to be sure, but the characters are what elevates this book from good to excellent. Jamie, Claire, and the entire cast are strong, brave, smart, and resilient, but they are also flawed, and Gabaldon doesn’t shy away from exposing those flaws.
I also read the author’s interview, and I found it interesting that Gabaldon wrote Outlander “just to see if [she] could”. I’m glad she decided to take the leap.
More reviews can be found on my blog.
You’ve hit on one of the main reasons I love this series – Jamie and Claire as a team. They’re such strong characters, but they really need each other to survive. I haven’t finished the series yet, but I love that their relationship has flourished despite all Gabaldon throws at them!
I picked this up at the thrift store today and hope to dig into it soon. I just saw the trailer for the new show and feel like everyone has read it except for me. I’m definite looking forward to it!
I think this book may be one of my desert island picks. It’s been part of my life for so long, and I love it so much. I can’t even begin to contain my excitement, coupled with dread, about the TV show. The first trailer was oh so promising, but what if they mess up my beloved characters? It’s not like Battlestar Galactica didn’t start out super promisingm, but it went completely off the reservation in later seasons. I’m not sure I could bear that with Jamie and Claire.
I just saw the trailer.
Swoon.
Starz, please, please, please don’t screw this up.
God I love this series. I had a boss lend it to me about eight years ago, and once I got over my shock that my boss lent me something so full of sex scenes (not complaining–just shocked) I loved it. I read the whole series every time a new one is released. Love!